I was brought up around old timers who believed hunting was a combination of knowing your game and their habits, knowing the ground where your game will be found and stalking. That pulling the trigger was a very minor part and culmination of the hunt. You then had to have knife and skinning skills and know how to preserve your meat. But to stalk your prey required woodsmanship, reading sign, managing your scent and knowing the ground to get a shot. Out West you better be able to climb and know how to scramble over loose rocks, fallen timber etc. and ride and pack a horse. Stalking, still hunting etc. is hard work but the more you do the more you learn. The use of good optics really doesn’t lessen the need for stalking skills since once your prey is spotted you still have to cover a lot of downwind ground to get a shot. So no, hunting over feeders is closer to trapping in my mind and shooting game at extreme range eliminates stalking, on foot anyway, and of course eliminates the animals protective senses so it amounts to sniping rather than hunting.

Addendum: Now that I’ve preached I have mixed feelings. I need to understand some folks can’t get out and dedicate the hours to learn stalking or have friends and uncles to show them. Like myself this past eight years some are physically incapable. Others don’t live where they can walk or drive a short distance to learn the country or follow game. And of course way more only have so much time away from their jobs and family commitments to pay for travel, outfitters etc. To those I apologize. But more than that every person who buys a license, supports hunt country mom & pop businesses and counts as a hunter when the numbers are diminishing we should all be thankful

Rick

Last edited by Woodpecker; 12/12/23.